Animal Adaptations

View Transcript Hide Transcript This leaf-mimicking katydid escapes being eaten by looking just like a dead leaf. © www.istockphoto.com/Morley Read

This leaf-mimicking katydid escapes being eaten by looking just like a dead leaf.

The world is always changing. Animals must also change to live. Nature and people change the places where animals live. Animals adapt, or change, to find food and to stay safe. Some animal adaptations happen quickly, while others take many years.

If an animal changes the way it acts to stay alive, this is called a behavioral adaptation. For example, some geese fly south in the fall. This behavior allows them to stay warm and find food during winter. Changes in an animal’s body are called physical adaptations. A chameleon can change color to hide from its enemies. Throughout history, animals have adapted to our changing world.